2003 Pontiac Grand Am

THE LAMPS ON MY GT GRAND AM AREN'T RIGHT DO TO THE LOW BEAMS BEING BRIGHTER THAN THE HIGH BEEMS. AND WATER IS IN THE LAMP. AND MY CAR WILL NOT START AND I CALLED AND TOLD YOU ALL OF THIS. AND I WORKED ON IT SOME AND MOVED SOME WIRES AND IT STARED TO WORK ONCE AGAIN. AND NOW DOWN AGAIN.IT WILL NOT DO A THING BUT LIGHT UP THE DASH. SO I REPLACED THE KEYSTARTER AND IT STILL DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. MY DAUGHTERS CAR IS ALSO A GRAND AM AND IT LOCKED UP ON HER TOO AND WOULD NOT START .LORD FORBID IF YOU WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE WOMEN, HOPEFULLY NOTHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN. SHE REPLACED THE IGNITION WHICH WAS THE PROBLEM WITH HER VEHICLE BUT IT IS NOT THE CASE WITH MY VEHICLE. I WAS HEARING CLICK CLICK IN THE DASH A LOT AND CAN NOT TELL WHAT IT IS AND NOT SURE IF IT IS A SHORT. AND IT IS NOT FAIR WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND IT SEEMS LIKE A DEATH TRAP. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. PS THE CAR DOSE NOT LIKE TO STOP RIGHT IT HAS NEW BRAKES ON IT AND BEEN UPDATED. BUT STILL DOSE NOT WAIT TO STOP. BUT I CAME REALLY CLOSE TO HITTING SOME ONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE WERE COMPLETELY WORN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS, BUT WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS OR THE BEARING. THE HUB BEARING ON THE DRIVER SIDE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE FUEL FILTER WAS THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, BUT IT WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,512.

MY DAUGHTER HAS A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT. SHE HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT HER BRAKES NOT FEELING QUITE RIGHT BEFORE 15,000 MILES AT 17,000 WE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS AND RESURFACE THE ROTORS. WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR SHE BEGAN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BRAKES AGAIN. SINCE THEY HAD JUST BEEN REPAIRED I TOLD HER SHE HAD TO BE MISTAKEN. SIX MONTHS LATER SHE WAS STILL COMPLAINING AND WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR OWN MECHANIC. HE TOLD US THE REAR BRAKE PADS WERE FINE BUT THE ROTORS WERE DETERIORATED BEYOND REPAIR. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT 25000 MILES ,MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES,SO WE EXPECTED THE CAR TO BE FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER REFUSED TO FIX IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. HE CLAIMED MY DAUGHTER WAS AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER AND MUST HAVE BEEN HARD ON THE BRAKES . HE WANTED TO FIX THE CAR FOR $1000. REPLACING BOTH FRONT AND REAR ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. THE ROTORS WERE APPARENTLY ROTTING UNDERNEATH THE PADS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN,THE ROTORS ARE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2003 NEW PONTIAC GRAND AM. WITHIN A TWO WEEK PERIOD I HAD IT BACK IN THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO SHAKING IN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. ABOUT A MONTH LATER I WAS MOVING FROM THE STATE OF MAINE TO TEXAS AND I GOT STUCK IN ALABAMA FOR THREE DAYS DUE TO THE SHAKE IN THE SAME PLACE. THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I DROVE AT HWY SPEEDS AND ALSO WHEN I APPLIED THE BREAKS CAUSING THE CAR AND STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE. IT DID ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER, ROTOR, PADS, FLUID, VALVES ALL HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. THIS STOPPED THE SHAKE MOST OF THE TIME. WHEN I GOT TO TEXAS I HAD IT IN THE SHOP TWO MORE TIMES AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. BUT THEY DID TURN THE ROTORS. WELL HERE I AM THREE YEARS LATER AND STILL HAVING SHAKE IN MY CAR WHEN IT IS AT HWY SPEEDS. SINCE I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN I DON'T OFTEN GO ON THE HWY. THIS PAST WEEKEND I WAS ON THE HWY AND SURE ENOUGH THAT SAME SHAKE. I HAVE IT IN THE SHOP NOW AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT THE ROTORS ARE WARPED VERY BAD AND THAT IS CAUSING THE SHAKE. MY CONCERN IS THIS WAS REPLACED BEFORE AND I STILL HAD THE SHAKE. I GET TOLD THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM WHILE IT IS UNDER WARRANTY BUT AS SOON AS THE COVERAGE IS ENDED THEY SAY THAT BY REPLACING THE ROTORS MY PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE GOTTEN SHAFTED AND GM SAYS ITS MY PROBLEM. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE ON THIS PROBLEM, AND ANYTHING MORE THAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT? *NM

THE CONSUMER REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING A COPY OF THE ACCIDENT REPORT. THE VEHICLE INSPECTION REPORT, AND WRITTEN MONETARY SETTLEMENT FM GM, HIS DAUGHTER WAS INJURED IN THE 2003 PONTIAC AM. *BF THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING CORRESPONDENCE FROM GM. UPDATED THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER WAS IN A SINGLE ACCIDENT ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED IN WET RAINY CONDITIONS AND SHE CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL, THEN SPUN AROUND AND SEVERED A LIGHT POLE. THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *SC *JB THE CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED REQUESTED DATA DEFINED ON THE 0500-05/01/05 MEMO. *SC AS OF 3/28/2006 THE CONSUMER HAS NOT RECEIVED THE FIELD ASSESSMENT REPORT. *NM UPDATED 05/09/06 THE CONSUMER STATED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE BBB WILL BE CONTACTING NHTSA IN THE NEAR FUTURE. UPDATED 07/13/06. *JB

THIS IS NOT A TRUE "FAILURE", PER SE, BUT A COMPLAINT ABOUT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT/FLAW/PRACTICE. I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT1, (PURCHASED 8/02) WHICH WAS RECENTLY SERVICED AT 40,000 MILES. AT APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES, DURING 4/04, I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR AND SCORING. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE WEAR WAS DUE TO THE USE OF ROAD SALT THAT WINTER. THE FRONT ROTORS HADN'T BEEN TURNED, OR PREVIOUSLY SERVICED. AT THE RECENT 40,000 MILE CHECKUP, I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD AGAIN NEED TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS. AS WITH THE 20,000 MILE CHECKUP, THE ROTORS HAD NOT BEEN TURNED, OR OTHERWISE SERVICED, BUT WERE WORN TO THE POINT OF NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE LARGE MAJORITY (90+%) OF MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY, WHICH "SHOULD" BE A BIT EASIER ON THE BRAKES THAN CITY, OR STOP-AND-GO DRIVING. AT EACH INSTANCE I INVOKED THE PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER, WHO WERE ONLY MINIMALLY HELPFUL. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 OR SO MILES, AND IS NOT DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE IN PONTIAC LITERATURE, WOULD THIS NOT CONSTITUTE A DOCUMENTED PREMATURE FAILURE FOR A SAFETY SYSTEM ? I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER CONSUMERS, NOTING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, SO I'M LESS INCLINED TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN ISOLATED EVENT. IN EACH INSTANCE, THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF BRAKE WEAR (NO NOISES, PEDAL FADE, WEAR SENSOR SQUEAL, LOSS OF BRAKING POWER, ETC.) THERE ALSO HAS BEEN NO "INCIDENTS", OR ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT. *NM

DURING AN ACCIDENT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER ALSO INDICATED THAT THE BRAKES FELT CHOPPY. *NBF THE CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *TC *TT *SC THE CONSUMER SENT IN A FOLLOW UP LETTER INCLUDING A POLICE NARRATIVE THAT EXPLAINED THAT THE CONSUMER WAS SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL, WENT ACROSS AN EXIT AND STRUCK A LIGHT POLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY EDGE WHILE IT WAS RAINING. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS STICKING DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO GET BACK TO HIM IN REFERENCE TO THE FINDINGS OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION. *TC *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED A LISTING OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PONTIAC GRAND AM 2003. *SC

I HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT. AT 13,000 MILES, THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE TURNED AND THE REAR ROTORS REPLACED. MY DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND ALSO OWN A 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM GT AND HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE SAID IT IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE (POOR QUALITY) ROTORS BEING USED BY GM. WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF PONTIAC THEY ONLY SAID THAT ALL MANUFACTURERS ARE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. REPAIR COSTS FOR BRAKE PADS, NEW ROTORS AND TURNING FRONT ROTORS WAS $577.20. PONTIAC TOLD MY DAUGHTER AND SON-IN-LAW THAT THEY WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE BRAKES AND ROTORS AS THEY ARE CONSUMABLES. MY MECHANIC RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE PARTS WITH BENDIX BRAND PARTS INSTEAD OF STANDARD GM PARTS. HE SAID THIS WILL PROBABLY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *NM